Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

The last couple of weeks in Hosea we have seen a growing list of complaints against the people.

The people have gone astray and participated in cultic worship practices.

They have been led astray both by their priests and their leadership.

They worship these false gods and goddesses while declaring that they are true followers of Yahweh as well.

We have seen how the marriage between faithful Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer, is a window into the marriage between faithful God and unfaithful Israel.

Thus far, though, these complaints have been building up on top of one another.

Our text tonight represents the climax of these complaints and shows us the coming wrath of God, an invitation of restoration and a promise of coming restoration.

There are several expressions of hope in this text as well, a welcome sight for sore eyes as we have made our way through the barren wilderness of Hosea 4-5.

We will see that the main point of this message is that God does not delight in partial obedience or partial fulfillment to His covenant.

He instead delights in loyalty and worship from the heart.

Just as that was the case in Hosea’s day, that is the case today.

The Father desires genuine worship from within.

Let’s read this text.

Wrath (5:8-15)

The very opening verse of this text notes the urgency of the message.

The “trumpet” had many uses, but it appears as though the use in Hosea 5 is to serve as a military signal.

In the ancient world, radios did not exist.

Social media did not exist.

Fox News did not exist.

The way that nations would prepare for a coming attacker would be by lighting a fire atop a hill or by sounding a ram’s horn or a trumpet.

This opening verse shows that the people of Israel are being invaded.

The enemy is portrayed as advancing in and the 3 cities mentioned are likely not the only ones at risk.

Hosea’s opening verse serves as a declaration of the wrath of God by using a foreign power to bring about his divine wrath (as Deuteronomy 28 shows us and as we are familiar with both Assyria and Babylon).

God’s wrath will be poured out on these people and they are assured of the fact that they will be rebuked.

Verse 10 notes that the princes of Judah have become like those who move a boundary.

During this era boundaries were typically marked by natural geographical features, however that was not always possible in the desert or wilderness.

Because of this, there were boundary stones that would sometimes be placed to mark the distinction between nations.

If someone, such as a prince, moved the boundary stones between themselves and a neighboring country then that would be a very cowardly way of stealing land from the enemy, wouldn’t it?

Instead of talking to the enemy or going to war you simply move the boundary stones and act as though nothing has changed and that you own this new land.

This is deceitful and God declares that this is how the leadership have been.

They have corrupted the people and have been deceitful.

Furthermore, among the tribes of Israel, it was well known that God had set apart sections of the land for each tribe.

Because of this, moving the boundary stones is encroaching on the land of another tribe which would be going against something set by God.

The result of this action is that God will pour out His wrath like water.

Both Israel and Judah will face the wrath of God.

This is an interesting way for wrath to be poured out.

Whenever we think of the coming judgment or wrath of God, we are quick to think of fire and earthquakes but not water.

When have we seen water serve as a tool to bring about the wrath of God, though?

Several times!

The great flood and the crossing of the Red Sea come to mind quickly.

There is no escaping His wrath just as there is no escaping a flood.

V. 11-15 show how God is going to bring His judgment upon the people.

Ephraim is oppressed and crushed in judgment - this means that they had already experienced the covenantal curses of Deuteronomy 28.

This leads to a helpless situation.

The people were being oppressed by others and they were being judged by God.

God is said to have been a moth or pus to Israel and an infection to the house of Judah.

The misery and oppression that the people will feel is God’s doing.

This was not a random infection or misfortunate event.

This is something inflected by God.

Think of the plagues, God is not this nice, welcoming gentleman who only does “good” things to people.

His wrath is terrifying!

Think of a nasty infection in our day and age, you feel weak and you simply want to get better.

Now imagine that God is the one who has made you sick to punish you for your covenantal violations.

What would your response look like?

Verses 13-15 give us one possible answer.

This sick nation has illness, wounds, sores and verse 13 shows that they looked to foreign powers for a cure.

Many people do that same thing in our world today.

We know, as Christians, that God causes all things to work together for our good (even sickness and failure), yet whenever we are sick or whenever things don’t go our way we are quick to look to others instead of looking to Him.

We don’t like to see God as the bringer of “bad” things, but we know that whenever whenever something bad happens, He is working it for our good.

This means that we are to seek Him in the storm, repent of our wrongdoings and follow Him.

Our Lord is like a lion to Israel and a young lion to the house of Judah.

He is the real foe.

Some people might have survived the sickness, but verse 14 shows that this lion will tear to pieces and there will be no one able to deliver the people.

The people have continued to turn to false gods for safety, but they must understand why they are suffering and who is bringing this judgment.

It is from God.

This must be acknowledged so that the people will repent and turn to Him and Him alone!

This type of covenantal curse comes from Deuteronomy 32:24.

It shows that there is a coming judgment that will be far worse than anything experienced yet.

Even though the people are surrounded by enemies, it is God who is the source of danger.

We see “I” a lot in this verse.

There are 3 promises in this verse.

Destruction, withdrawal (carry away) and inescapable capture.

The people had been experiencing a steady decline, but there would come a point in time in which the final judgment would hit them like a lion.

Yahweh closes this section by declaring that he will turn back and go to his place or his lair if you want to continue the lion metaphor.

After Israel has been judged, He will await their response.

He will go away until they acknowledge their guilt and seek His face.

Sometimes punishment is necessary in order for people to truly seek God.

In this passage, it will be the children of Israel who will return to God - not the people of Hosea’s day.

Killing off a generation of Israel is the means of offering salvation to the Israelites.

Do you remember the punishment for the generation who refused to enter into the promised land?

They were forced to wander through the wilderness for 40 years!

Many people passed away as a result of their disobedience.

Many people passed away in the exile due to their continued disobedience.

Unfortunately, many people pass away today and stand guilty before the Lord.

At that point in time, it is too late.

The hope for us and for the future generations of Israel in Hosea’s day is that God promises restoration to those who return to Him, acknowledge their guilt and seek His face.

Genuine Repentance…?

(6:1-10)

The natural response to the end of Hosea 5 would be repentance, would it not?

God promises to restore the people if they turn back to Him.

The knee-jerk reaction would be to simply return to the Lord and offer an apology of sorts.

That is exactly what we find in the first 3 verses of Hosea 6.

The people come forward and respond to God’s rebuke.

They say that they should return to the Lord.

Some scholars speculate that these 3 verses act as a song of sorts that Hosea composed as he included himself with all of Israel and declared “Let us return to the Lord.”

This is the first and only time in this entire text where it is not God speaking through Hosea.

Verse 1 shows that there will be a reversal of sorts that takes place: God will heal what He has torn.

He will bandage the injuries of Israel.

He will restore life to these people in verse 2.

The first 2 promises are banked on covenantal promises.